Mates: Book One
by Sibaas
Summary: As a result of a meddlesome God, J'onn goes into Martian Heat. Too bad the only one around at the time is Batman... J'onn/Batman
1. H'ronmeer's musings

**Mates**

**Summary: As a result of a meddlesome God, J'onn goes into Martian Heat. As luck would have it, the only one around at the time...is Batman. JxB**

**--**

H'ronmeer looked down upon earth, a frown marring his face. It was a confusing planet to be sure, with even more perplexing creatures living on it. Young and fragile, easily susceptible to invasion and destruction. And had in fact come close to death several times.

No doubt about it; were it not for those called 'The Justice League', the planet would have long ago died out. It was that same league that had caught his attention. More importantly, a Martian.

J'onn J'onzz.

The last Martian of Mars.

That in itself was disturbing. The martians had been such a fine race of creatures. Well, the green ones that is.

Strong, wise, advanced and not that bad looking either. Not blood thirsty or cruel; kind and accepting. And they were all dead. All gone. Except for one.

J'onn J'onzz was completely alone. And he seemed content to stay that way it seemed, as the years passed without him finding another mate. H'ronmeer understood that he needed time to get over the death of his family and his race as a whole. So for a while, he was content to wait for the martian to heal.

However, as another year passed, and he saw the alien alone yet again, H'ronmeer got tired of letting it rest in the Martian's hands. If the Martian wasn't willing to make a move of his own, well then he'd make it for him.

The bloodline of Mars had to be continued.


	2. The Heat

Chapter 1

* * *

J'onn was sweating. He was hot, and he was sweating and three minutes away from doing something very human-- like freak out.

He was _sweating_.

That in itself was weird, seeing how he was an _alien_ and therefor had no sweat glands, thus making sweating impossible. But it seemed that in the last forty-eight hours or so, he had developed them.

The martian could practically _fell_ the moisture dripping off his body as he laid in his bed, starring up at the ceiling. Which was another thing-- his senses were going haywire.

He had always been able to feel things better than humans could, but never to this extent. It had become noticeable yesterday while on monitor duty. And after nearly passing out due to system overload, he had decided to stick to his sleeping quarters.

He was pretty sure he knew what was wrong with his body and if he was correct, then it would all be over in twelve short hours. Nothing he couldn't handle, and as long as he didn't stay in anyone's presence for too long in that period of time, everything would be fine.

Which wouldn't be too hard; the only ones in the tower currently were Wonder Woman, Hawk Girl and Batman. Diana and Shayera were resting in their quarters and Batman was waiting for him to relieve him of monitor duty.

J'onn could do this. Batman wasn't one for small talk, and would probably leave after giving him a status report. Five minutes tops and the Dark Knight would be on his way to his cave, and he'd be alone to sweat out the next twelve hours in peace.

He could do this.

Slowly, he pulled himself up and inched his way out of his chambers, thankful that his room was closer than the others. Because if he had to _walk_ --he couldn't fly right now-- all the way from where _Flash's _resting quarters were, well he'd have never been able to make it.

So with his body on autopilot, he walked into the monitor room and listened to the Bat give the report that was required. Latching onto those words, pouring all his energy into focusing at the task at hand, rather than how incredibly _sexy_ Batman looked or how he had the _perfect_ ass or--

_Why was he sitting down?_

"What are you doing?" J'onn asked, feeling his patience starting to slip because the human was supposed to be _leaving_ at this point and he was supposed to be _alone_, except he _wasn't leaving_, and was settling in as if he was going to be there all night.

With him.

In the monitor room.

With him.

"_Superman_," Batman growled out the name, as if to make perfectly clear just _whose_ brilliant idea this was, "was worried. He asked me to do the shift with you." Which meant he'd probably begged and pleaded until the Bat had agreed.

And as J'onn took in what that meant, he felt his patience go out the window. "That..._boy scout_! I can take care of myself and I do _not_ require that _fool's _help!"

The vigilante stared at the alien, taking in his harsh breathing and the _sweat_ that was starting to appear on green skin which was slightly paler than normal. Truth be told, he looked like he was _sick_. Were martians _able _to get sick?

_Looks like Clark was right. _Sighing mentally, he turned his back to the martian and tried to ignore the glare that was thrown his way as he stated, "Well if I wasn't staying before, I'm sure as hell staying now."

J'onn forced himself to calm down as he sat down in the chair next to the human, trying very hard to ignore the sensations that were screaming at him. Which only increased as he began typing on the computer's keyboard. "I'm fine, Batman."

A snort. "I'm sure you are."

_He is not going to leave my side_, J'onn realized. His body was growing hotter and more wet as the seconds ticked by and there was someone sitting _right next to him_. The sweat was meant to attract possible mates. Pretty soon Batman would notice the peculiar scent and then...and then...

_Of course, there is no definite possibility that he will even react to the scent. He is, after all, human._

Most likely the Bat couldn't even smell it. They would probably continue their shift in peace, and after the twelve hours passed, he wouldn't have to deal with the heat for another ten thousand years.

How he managed to even _get_ in heat was beyond him. It hadn't been anywhere _close_ to ten thousand years since his last one. He still had about eight thousand more to go. Maybe it was because of the stress, or it could be because he no longer had a mate and it was his subconscious' way of calling out for one.

Whatever the reason, J'onn was determined to fight it. He wasn't a child anymore; he could handle the Heat. All he had to do was concentrate.

Which was really hard, with Bru-_Batman_ sitting _right_ next to him. And was it his imagination or had the chair gotten closer? Glancing to his left, the martian calculated the distance and felt a slight panic. Silly, really. It _was_ closer, but only a _tiny_ amount. Nothing to worry about.

Batman probably did it subconsciously.

_Batman never does anything subconsciously. _

They sat in silence for what had to have been at least an hour, before the Dark Knight stood up, excusing himself to go the bathroom. Unusual, but not very. Humans had bladders that occasionally needed emptying. Batman was no exception.

Even though he'd never done that before.

Several minutes later, J'onn heard footsteps behind him and strengthened his control. He _refused_ to let the Heat cloud his judgement. Refused to let it get the better of him. He'd let that happen once two thousand years ago and it wasn't going to happen again.

The footsteps stopped behind him, and he felt the panic increase. _Please sit down...please sit down..._

Dead quiet. No movement from behind him and he forced himself to relax. Batman was a human, the chances of him being able to smell the--

_Batman leaned over and buried his face in the martian's neck, breathing in deeply. _

J'onn froze, his eyes widening to almost painful degrees as he felt those cool lips make contact with his heated flesh. It was just the Heat that was making the human react this way; he had to try and make him see reason.

"Ba...Batman..."

He swallowed thickly as the lips started trailing downward, a moan escaping his throat. Tried chanting in his minds all the reasons that this was _wrong _so he could strengthen his resolve. Batman was _male_ and _human _and_..._

_Licking and biting and..._

_Male and human and being seduced by the Heat and..._

_Rubbing and touching and..._

_**Touching**__..._

Not able to stand having the man behind him where _he_ couldn't do any of the touching, J'onn turned around and launched an attack of his own; capturing the Bat's lips in a lust-filled kiss that probably didn't serve to help matters at all.

And as articles of a dark costume started to litter the floor of the monitor room; a part of J'onn's mind laughed at him. Trying to resist the Heat? Such foolishness. The Heat _always_ won in the end. However, he couldn't find it in himself to be disgusted or ashamed, not when the Bruce was doing _that_ with his tongue.

Yet even though it was _the_ most sexual activity he'd done in quite some time...

It still didn't feel like it was _enough_.

Martians made love differently than humans did.

The Heat was amplifying his senses, and making the touches enjoyable, certainly. But it wasn't the same. Could never be the _same_.

Then that tongue brushed over a certain spot and he gasped, being jerked back to the present and the situation he was now in. Not horrible mind you; but still...

However, as he made eye contact with Bruce, he realized that he wasn't the only one who noticed it. He didn't have to be a telepathic to read the _want_ in those eyes. That was how the Heat worked. It amplified everything. Lust, need, _want_...

"A...you are...cer...certain?" It was hard to talk when he kept moving his hands _everywhere_, and H'ronmeer did he have to be so sensitive?

"Yes."

It was only the Heat talking. J'onn knew that if Batman was in his right mind that he wouldn't even _think_ such a thing, more or less suggest it. But the Heat was fogging his judgement, and the martian found that while he _knew_ that there would most certainly be consequences once all this was over; he didn't really care.

So with eager enthusiasm, he opened up his mind and linked to Bruce's, feeling the wild waves of emotion, energy and passion wash over them, rippling through their bodies as he felt _for once_ in a really long time that he was _finally_ complete.

Things progressed very quickly after that.

--

H'ronmeer stared down on the scene with wide eyes, trying to put together what had just happened. A _human_? Of all the ones J'onn could have chosen...

Kal-El of Krypton was a good choice. He could work with Kal-El. The alien was strong, intelligent, kind. A perfect match.

Diana of Themyscira he could handle. Shayera of Thanagar was fine too. Even John Stewart or Wallace West of Earth were acceptable.

But..._Bruce Wayne?_

The man was just that a _man_. Completely human with no powers whatsoever. Intelligent to be sure, and perhaps strong by human standards but he didn't even _compare_ to Kal-El or Diana. How could he? He was just a _human_! How was he supposed to work with that?!

Slumping down in his chair, H'ronmeer closed his eyes as he tried to think of a way out of this mess. For whatever the reason, J'onn had chosen _the human_ in his time of Heat. He couldn't risk sending the Martian into another heat. There was a _reason_ it only happened once every ten thousand years. The Heat took a _lot_ out of the body. He'd already but J'onn in danger by forcing it to happen again so soon. There was no _way_ his body would be able to handle it again.

He let out a deep sigh. So that meant, that he was _stuck_ with _the human_.

_I am completely lost on what to do, _the God realized. _I have no idea how a human's mind works. _

Another sigh. That only meant one thing; he was going to have to ask C'eridyall for help. Great. She always hated it when he interfered with the little earthlings. She had taken to watching over them after J'onn had made their planet his new home. However, she _was_ the only one who could help him...

Well, he supposed there was always Earth's Gods...but if he told them what he'd done they'd get all in a huff and he really didn't need that right now...

It was with that thought that he contacted her.

_C'eridyall...I require your assistance. _

_What did you do NOW_?

* * *

I hope you like it! I've already gotten this segment's chapters all written out. All six of them. I'll probably be posting a new chapter every few days or so.

* * *


	3. The Morning After

Chapter 2

* * *

Kal-El looked down upon the sight in front of him, his jaw passed being dropped. No, it was completely unhinged. Down on the floor. Along with...with..._them_.

He had left Earth early so he could check on Batman and J'onn and make sure that everything was okay. He had expected...well he didn't _know_ what he had expected, but it sure as _hell_ wasn't _this_.

And he wasn't the only one who was shocked senseless. Hawk Girl and GL had been walking with him when he'd discovered..._this_. They had been talking about...something. Something important. He was sure. Only he couldn't remember it right now.

Hawk Girl just kept _staring_ at them. She had to admit that she had some..._fantasies_...and she just couldn't take her eyes away from the scene. Particularly one spot.

Green Lantern would have glared at her had he been able to _move_. Except he _couldn't_ move. His entire body, every molecule, was frozen in place. But there wasn't anything wrong with his voice. "Stop _starring_." He hissed.

She _tried_ to stop, really she did, but it...it wasn't possible. "You first."

You first? Didn't she know that he couldn't _move_?! He kept screaming at his legs to do _something_ but they just stayed there, frozen. "I...I can't. It's like a train wreck. I just can't look away."

They stood there, just..._starring_ and _frozen_ with their jaws on the floor. They should probably leave. Right. But that would require moving. Something they couldn't do right now. So there they stayed, _staring_.

Until Flash and Diana entered the room. Diana stayed frozen like everyone else. But apparently, Flash wasn't the type who was shocked silently. No, when he was shocked...

"DUUUUDEEE!!"

He liked to express it.

"Ju-ju-ju-_DUDE?! _DUDE!! DUDE!! _DUUUUUUDE_!" Flash pointed at the two _naked_ bodies on the floor, backing up until he hit the wall.

Diana acted quickly, slapping a hand over the speedster's mouth. "Do you want them to wake up?!" She hissed.

He stared at her blankly before nodding his head up and down. Ignoring him, she turned back to the two sleeping heroes, praying that they hadn't woken up.

They had.

* * *

_"DUUUUDEEE!!"_

_"Ju-ju-ju- DUDE?! DUDE!! DUDE!! DUUUUUUDE!"_

Bruce let out a low groan as his eardrums started to rattle painfully. _Everything_ hurt. His back, his legs, his _ass_, his eyeballs, his _hair_. He felt like...well, like he was hung over. Which was preposterous, as he didn't drink. He didn't remember much of last night. He remembered Clark begging him to keep J'onn company on his shift, cursing the Kryptonian as he agreed, J'onn entering the monitor room, J'onn blowing up, and then...

Nothing.

_Were we attacked?_ That could explain why his body was so sore and why he couldn't remember anything. A groan sounded to his left, which he assumed came from J'onn. So they were probably taken captive. Okay. Time to assess the situation and deal with it. Cautiously, he cracked open an eye, only to slam it shut as his headache quadrupled. He tried again, and blinked as he saw the other members of the Justice League standing over him.

Okay, so they _weren't_ being held captive.

Then...what the hell was going on?

That was when he noticed that he wasn't wearing anything. "What the _hell_?!" He shot up into a sitting position, ignoring his headache as he tried to take in everything.

Him and J'onn. Together. On the floor. _Naked_. Soreness.

Which could only mean one thing.

_Oh...GOD..._

Bruce glanced up at the other Leaguers, who were still standing there, frozen. And staring. At him. More importantly, his body. Which was naked. _Naked_.

Silence.

More staring.

"WHAT?!" He snapped, causing almost all of them to jump as they fumbled for something to say.

Superman sputtered for a bit, trying to think of _something_ that wouldn't make the situation any worse. "D..uh...uh...Status report?"

The got him a blank stare. "S...status report?" Crap. He couldn't remember anything. Well, okay, some bits and pieces were starting to come back, but probably nothing that they needed (or wanted) to hear. _Concentrate_. What did he see on the monitors?

His mind was completely _blank_.

* * *

J'onn tried to go back to sleep. He didn't want to wake up and face everything. The Martian was quite aware of the situation. He and Bruce had slept together. Numerous times. In several positions. Nonstop. For twelve _long_ earth-shattering hours. The others had walked in on them.

Green Lantern couldn't move. Hawk Girl couldn't stop staring. Flash was saying 'Dude' multiple times.

He didn't _want_ to wake up.

But it wasn't _fair_ that Bruce had to deal with the others all on his own. So, with extreme reluctance, he slowly opened his eyes and sat up, taking in the tense silence. Again, he was aware of the problem. Status Report. Yet he couldn't be of any assistance to Bruce. Because...he had no clue what he saw on the monitors either.

The only thing he remembered about last night was...

Well _everything_. Except the monitors.

The things they had _done_...it was enough to almost bring a blush to his face, had he been able to blush. That was probably a good thing. Because he was _sure_ if he did anything besides _breathe _that Bruce was going to _kill _him.

Though, he supposed that if he hadn't taken out the Kryptonite or matches just yet, that he was safe.

However, even _he _was beginning to feel uncomfortable with all the staring.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to ignore the dark glare that was thrown his way. Which was very hard. Especially when he remembered those eyes being filled with lust and _need_ and...

"Perhaps it would be best if Batman put some clothes on."

"YES." Green Lantern coughed. "That..that...would uh...probably help."

No body moved to leave.

* * *

xD R&R bitches!

* * *


	4. A Good Day

Chapter 3

* * *

Bruce waited for _someone_ to exit the room, his self-restraint growing thin as seconds ticked by. Surely they didn't expect him to get dressed with them _watching_, did they?

Another minute passed by and he growled. Why were they still _here?!_

Closing his eyes, he tried to use every mental trick he knew. Gathered up every ounce of patience that was gained from raising two boys and dealing with sickos like _The Joker_ on a weekly basis. He could do this. All he had to do was take a _deep_ breath and--

"_**GET OUT!!**_"

There was really no reason to be afraid. Sure, Bruce was _The Batman_, but right now, he was just a naked human. But as they gazed into his eyes, and saw their possible deaths being reflected in those blue orbs...they quickly decided to obey, tripping over each other as they hurried out of the room.

J'onn made to stand up and leave also, only to be stopped as a hand grabbed his wrist. "Oh no, _you're_ staying."

The martian stared down at his wrist, saying in a low voice, "I merely thought you would appreciate some privacy."

Bruce rolled his eyes before standing up and beginning the search for his clothes. "Why? You've seen it all."

Still, J'onn turned away while he got dressed, though he didn't really notice, as his headache was starting to increase. Probably from when he blew up at the other Leaguers. It was their own fault really, gaping down at him like fish...

But now that they were gone, the feeling like _shit_ thing was starting to return, and he had to pause while pulling on his boots, as another wave of nausea passed over him. He hadn't felt this bad since he first started training, many years ago.

He never really noticed before but it seemed like the parts of his costumed tripled some time during the night, and the more he moved the more it _hurt_ and by the time he was done there was a light coat of sweat covering his body.

Shakily he sat down and glared at the martian, who was turning around now that he was _finally _done dressing. "Do you at least feel half as shitty as I do right now, _J'onn_?" He spat, narrowing his eyes when the martian slowly shook his head.

"I feel well rested."

The _only_ thing that stopped his hand from reaching into his utility belt, pulling out the matches, and shouting '_feel this asshole!'_, was the fact that he wasn't sure if he could do it without doing something _very_ un-bat like.

Like crying.

And the martian had the _nerve_ to ask him, "Is there something I can do to help, Batman?"

Batman stared at him for a minute, debating on whether or not to ask because while he wasn't sure he _wanted_ to know ...he _had_ to know. So he reluctantly turned his chair to the monitors and started going over last night's footage.

"You can explain to me how we went from _this_," He pointed to the instance when they were sitting side by side, before fast forwarding to where he was sniffing --_sniffing_-- J'onn's neck. "to _that_."

Silence. He turned around, and growled when he saw the martian was halfway through the floor. Another second and Batman was alone in the monitor room, with their --for all intent and purposes-- _sex tape_, playing in the background.

_Should have used the damn matches._

* * *

C'eridyall stared at H'ronmeer, taking in all that he had told her had happened while she was away, her eyes blank.

No. He wouldn't be _that _stupid. There was no _way_ he'd be so idiotic as to do something like _that_. This was one of his little tricks. She'd fall for it and then he'd cackle that insane cackle of his and say 'ahahaha, you're spending too much time with those humans if you're willing to believe _that_!'. Just like all the other times.

But as she took in his sheepish posture and the fact that he couldn't quite look her in the eye, she realized that _yes_ he _was_ that stupid. And it was with that thought, that she exploded, her normally peaceful nature tossed aside.

"_**ARE YOU **__**COMPLETELY**__** INSANE?!**_"

H'ronmeer huffed, crossing his arms as he glared down at her. "_No_. My plan was foolproof--"

"A _fool_ trying to come up with a foolproof plan, imagine that!" C'eridyall shook her head, pacing back and forth as she wondered what the _hell_ she was supposed to do now that H'ronmeer had messed everything up. "I was _working_ on something! A nice human--"

He sneered. "A _human_? You think a _human _is good enough for our child??"

She fixed him with a cool look that sent a shiver down his spine, even though he _was_ immortal. "At least _my_ plan didn't put our child's _life_ in danger."

His back stiffened. "At least _my_ plan was getting something done. No matter how many _humans_ you sent his way, he never took any interest in them. _My_ plan worked." A disgusted sound. "Even if he _did_ choose the _one_ human that was on that little tower at the time."

C'eridyall sat down, shaking her head. Of course he'd only care about the _human_ part. Never mind the fact that he'd almost _killed_ J'onn or indirectly put a human's life in danger. No, he didn't care about any of that.

She sighed wearily. "When a martian is in Heat, anyone they have intercourse with will also be affected."

H'ronmeer let a smug smile play on his lips, gazing down upon the _human_ planet. "I know. It was definitely the most _excitement_ that _human_ has ever had. I'm almost impressed that he was able to withstand it." Almost.

He blinked when she let out an angry shriek. For someone supposedly so peaceful, she sure did play the pissed card pretty well. "A martian _can_ withstand Heat without any repercussions. Do you have _any_ idea _**how it'll effect a human body?! What changes it might cause?!**_"

A blank stare was her only answer.

* * *

Flash glanced sideways towards where the Batman was sitting. The Bat was eating some crackers, and had a grimace of pain on his face, that appeared whenever he moved. He was obviously not in the mood for any company.

But...

He just couldn't get the image out of his head. Them. On the floor. _Naked_. It was just so..._dude_.

How in the hell did they _get_ to that point? J'onn was _green_ and while he had nothing against _green_, the last time he checked, Batman had like this huge prejudice thing going against aliens and not being able to trust them.

Such as Superman.

Though, now that he thought about it, he never really expressed the same extreme distrust towards J'onn that he showed Superman. Which, he knew irked the Big Blue Boy scout. And probably would even more so now that...

They had _sex_.

_Sex_.

When he had walked in, on _that_, he was shocked to see that _everyone_ was staring. No one moved. Well, not until Bruce yelled at them to _**GET OUT**_ and even then there was like a split second of hesitation.

And he understood, because of all the people to walk in on...

_Batman and J'onn_ had been like the last two people he'd have ever imagined.

He had to know _why_. In fact, he was determined to find out as much as he possibly could, only he couldn't just _look_ at the footage; there was only a .9 percent chance that Batman hadn't erased all evidence.

And he _needed_ to know why. So he gathered his courage and proceeded to walk over towards the Dark Knight, stopping when he was ten feet away from him. He opened his mouth to ask the crucial question, only for Batman to interrupt him, saying in a deadpan voice, "I'll give you ten thousand dollars if you promise to drop the subject and never speak of it again."

He paused. Ten thousand dollars was a _lot_ of money. He could get a better apartment. Buy a new fridge. Or some comics! Or that new CD...but...

_Dude_. It was...and...them..._naked_ and..._ten thousand dollars_ but...but...

"Hey Flash, you okay? You're...kinda...shaking there..." Green Lantern walked up beside him and was about to say something else, when he noticed Batman was there. He coughed slightly. "Uh...listen, Bats uh--"

"Ten thousand dollars."

GL's eyes widened. "Say what?"

Flash snorted. "Psh, Like GL's just gonna _drop _the subject just because you wave ten G's in front of him?"

Batman bit into another cracker, chewing for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay. Twenty."

His eyes got even bigger. _Twenty thousand dollars_. And all he had to do was promise to never speak of it again? He could do that. After all, he wasn't even really that--

"PSH! NO WAY MAN! You can't BUY off GL!"

Green Lantern started to panic as he watched the Bat shrug and start to walk away. _The hell _he couldn't!

"HE'S JUST AS CURIOUS AS I AM ARENCHA GL?!"

He glared at the Flash, who quickly deflated. "Shaddup! Hey, Bats!"

'Bats' turned around, a slight smirk on his lips. And even though he _knew_ he should feel ashamed... Green Lantern couldn't stop himself from saying, "Seventy."

"Done."

Immensely pleased with himself for earning more money in just one hour than he made in an entire _year_, John began pondering on what he was going to do with his hard-earned cash. Maybe a new car. Or a better apartment. Or...how much did boats cost?

The speedster pouted. " I can't believe you sold out man. I'd never sell out. My dignity is worth more than that."

A smug look. "I have seventy _thousand_ dollars. What do have? Oh, right, your _dignity_. My dignity's worth seventy _thousand_. What's your's worth? Nothing. Can your dignity buy you a car? No. It can't. So I win."

Flash stared at him for a few seconds before blurting out, "Aren't you _curious_ though?"

John smirked. "Very. I suppose I'll just have to wonder on what happened while I'm driving my new car around." He stretched his arms, a happy sigh escaping. Minus hell freezing over and all, today had been a pretty good day.

* * *

XD How'd you likes it?

* * *


	5. Choco Fixation

Batman continued down the hall, mentally patting himself on the back. Sure, he supposed it was kind of petty to shell out seventy grand just to avoid the subject, but it was _only_ a couple thousand. He could afford it.

Besides, he really did _not_ want to talk about it. Didn't want to have to explain everything to anyone, because even _he_ didn't know why. Not something he wanted to admit. Though, he knew that a certain _martian _had the answers, and if he could just _find_ said martian...

But he was being very elusive. Damn bastard, making him _walk_ when he _knew_ just how shitty he was feeling right now...

It wasn't until he looked out a window that he saw just where the alien was.

J'onn was _sitting_.

On the _freaking_ moon.

Great, just fucking great. How in the _hell _was he supposed to--

"Uh...Bruce...can we talk?"

He whipped around to look at the person who was-- oh. Superman. Great.

Wait. _Superman...hmm..._

* * *

--

Clark gulped as Batman stared at him. He wasn't sure _what_ happened, but he was determined to find out. People like Batman didn't just suddenly have sex with Martians. Bruce Wayne...maybe. But _Batman_? No.

It just...wasn't in character.

"I...uh...Bruce...uh...about this morning...I..uh...you..." He shuffled his feet nervously, biting his lip as the white slits narrowed.

How was he supposed to have this conversation? With _Batman _of all people? Taking in a deep breath, he said, in a really quick voice, "Bruce I--"

Until a hand was clamped over his mouth, effectively silencing all further words. He looked down at the gloved hand, the question ringing in his eyes.

Batman opened his mouth, and Clark relaxed. It was okay, everything was going to be fine. The vigilante would explain and then everything would start to make sense again.

"I'll give you fifty thousand dollars if you shut up. And promise to not speak of _it_ again."

Or maybe he would just try to buy his silence.

That too.

Clark moved the hand away, blinking slightly. "Are...are you serious?"

The Bat shot a glare out the window, or more importantly, where the Martian was. "I'll even give you an extra fifty if you go out there and get J'onn for me."

After making sure that the Bat was in fact, quite serious, Clark blinked some more, before wailing, "_Naked, BRUCE! _**NAKED. YOU WERE NAKED! WITH A MARTIAN! **_**A MARTIAN! **_**NAKED! **_**NAKED**_**.**"

Clark heard Flash snicker a hundred yards away and shot a glare as Flash shouted, "_THANK YOU!_"

The Dark Knight stared at him. A long silence stretched between them. Then, in a low voice, he said, "I don't know what I find more disturbing. The fact that you only seem to remember my naked body..."

Here is where Clark started sputtering slightly in denial.

"...or the fact that my being with the Martian seems to disgust you."

The sputtering increased ten fold. And was accompanied by the changing of colors in his face. It would have been quite humorous, had Batman been one to laugh at such things.

"I never pegged you for a racist, Superman."

The changing of colors in his face was followed by harsh breathing, as Clark fought to keep from throttling the smug bat. He should have known better, after all, he walked _right_ into that one, but...

It wasn't _fair_. He'd been the one to catch Bruce. By all rights, _he_ was the one who had the privilege to poke fun. _Not_ the other way around.

"N...you...you..._naked_ Bruce. _Naked_. With _J'onn_. _**Naked with J'onn**_."

The Bat nodded. "Which brings me to my point. You, are a perverted racist."

He _actually _thought Clark was going to have a seizure. Because his arms were doing this little twitching thing and his breathing was accelerating even more, and colors kept appearing on that face of his and...

To his credit, Batman didn't so much as flinch when the fist came _so _close to hitting him and turned at the last moment, slamming into the wall instead. Clark fixed him with _the_ nastiest glare he could muster, snarling, "I am _not_ getting J'onn for you!" and then stomping off.

_Damn_.

A few seconds later, he was back to glaring at the moon's surface. At least he got the Kryptonian to drop it. And he hadn't even had to spend fifty grand.

_Sucker_.

His eyes narrowed suddenly. He could have _sworn_ he heard the martian laugh at him.

Damn the martian with his ability to breathe in outer space. And his _stupid_ cho--

_Choco fixation. _

Smirking, he left the window in search for all the cookies in question, walking straight pass Shayera and Diana without so much as a glance. For he was a man on a mission.

* * *

--

J'onn knew he was pushing fate with snickering at Bru--_Batman_. But he couldn't help it. He'd just successfully managed to piss off _Superman_ of all people, and all he could care about was the fact that he'd saved fifty grand. Typical Bat.

And it struck him as sort of humorous. So he snickered.

Well he supposed there wasn't anything Batman could do. He was on the moon. Batman couldn't go on the moon. Therefor, he was safe. And if the Bat _did_ find a way to get on the moon, he'd just phase himself back to the tower.

And when he came back to the tower, and he would have to eventually, he'd phase back to the moon.

A few times and the Bat would learn his lesson.

He _knew_ he was taking the cowardly way out by avoiding him, but J'onn honestly just couldn't bare to see him right now. He'd let the Heat take over and cloud his judgment and as a result...Batman was sore, glaring at him and...

Was most definitely his mate.

His _mate_.

What...what was he supposed to _do_? How was he supposed to _cope_ with having a human for a mate? Never mind human, how was he expected to deal with _Bruce _as a mate?

J'onn could practically _feel_ the disdain seeping from the man, as he stared out with those white slits of his. But he was on the _moon_. Courageous? No, maybe not. Smart? Oh yes.

Bruce, however, didn't seem to think so. He should have _known_ something was up when the man disappeared for several minutes. The Batman _never_ gave up after all...

_J'onn I know you can hear me. If you don't come in the tower, I'm going to BURN all your stupid chocos._

Yellow eyes widened. He _wouldn't_. To take it out on the chocos would be just...cruel. And surely Batman wouldn't be _that_ inhumane.

Right?

_I'm setting the first one on fire. Look? See?_ J'onn slowly started to stand as he watched the bat lift up a choco, showing the flames which were rising from it. He could hear the little screams coming from the innocent cookie as it begged and pleaded for mercy. But Bruce just _smirked_ and dear H'ronmeer, he'd had _sex_ with this monster?!

Then it was gone. Slaughtered by _him_.

_Choco number two, going up in flames, in three..._

He gulped. It was a double stuffed one. _Batman..._

_TWO..._

His eyes narrowed. So what? They were just some chocos. He could handle it.

_ONE. OOO look, fire. FIRE. It is BURNING. _

And screaming. Batman couldn't hear them, because he didn't have any respect for the Chocos, but oh, _he_ did and _he_ could hear their screams.

_Choco number...these are stuck together. A family. A FAMILY of Chocos, J'onn. _

Another flick of his dreadful lighter, and in flames they went. _Poof. Gone. All thanks to you._

J'onn frowned. He was _not_ going to give in just like that.

* * *

xD Hope you guys like it!


	6. The Talk

Chapter 5

Diana blinked, not quite sure what to make of this newest development. First she had walked in on _Bruce _and _J'onn_. Now Bruce was setting Chocos on fire in front of the window. Chocos. On fire. So far he had set about ten ablaze, and he was getting more agitated as the numbers increased.

And was it her imagination or were they _screaming_?

"Um...Batman...might I ask what you are doing?" It was always best to be polite around a rattled Bat.

He snorted, ripping open another pack of cookies. Some flew out in several directions, shouting in glee as they spotted a chance to flee from the madman. "What does it _look_ like I'm doing, princess?"

Did he _have _to make the word _princess_ sound so...ass-like?

A gloved had gathered up about three chocos and in seconds they were on fire. He held them up to the window, a satisfied smirk on his face. "I am setting chocos on fire."

She cleared her throat. "Yes, I uh, I can see that. _Why_?"

A growl. "Because _someone_," A glare towards the window. "won't come in the _tower_."

Even though she knew this was a serious matter for Batman, she couldn't fight the giggle that threatened to break loose. "So...so you've stooped to threatening cookies?"

A dismissal grunt, as he started rooting through the bags. "It's working. Where are the fudge ones? I _know_ we had fu--" He shot up into a standing position, his eyes narrowing as he listened to _whatever_ it was Diana imagined J'onn was telling him.

Silence. Until he suddenly _sprang_ into action, shoving the lighter into her hands and gathering all the choco packages into his arms in under three seconds. Whatever it was he said, it caused Batman to snap, "Go ahead! I will have Diana _set me on fire_ and all your little Chocos will _BURN_."

Diana choked. "WHAT?"

He leaned his head slightly to the left, murmuring, "The suit's fire proof, it's okay."

"...are YOU okay?"

"COME IN THE TOWER J'ONN!!" Came the answering roar. "Diana, set me on fire. NOW."

She looked at the costumed man with wide eyes, before shaking her head. "Uh..."

What did one _do_ in a situation like this? It came to her and she took in a deep breath, let it out and then..._ "__**SUPERMAN!!"**_

She didn't really have to shout so loud, because it was _his_ turn on monitor duty, so he was only a few hundred feet away, but still... "WHAT?" Came the snappy reply, causing her to blink. Surely he knew what was going on?

"Batman...he...he wants me to set him on fire."

"I know."

Another blink. "And?"

"I don't _care_."

She did a retake. "_What?_"

"Let.Him._Burn_."

She turned to Bruce, who was still glaring at the window. "How did you manage to upset _Superman_?"

"It's a gift. Now light me on fire."

An exasperated sigh. "I'm not doing it Batman."

"Coward."

Was she the only one with any sanity left in the tower?!

* * *

When Bruce started threatening to light himself on fire, J'onn knew it was time to suck it up and _deal_ with it. Of course, he supposed threatening to tell Alfred hadn't really helped matters most, though it _was_ kind of humorous how he responded to said threat.

Lighting himself on fire.

Well, at least he was original.

Letting out a soft sigh, he began floating towards the tower. _Very well, Batman. I will come in._

The Batman stared at him for a few seconds before nodding slightly and backing away from the windows. However, as he got closer, he noticed that he took the chocos with him. _You'll get the choco's back when you come to my quarters._

Of course he would.

Reluctantly, he entered the tower and headed towards Batman's quarters, pausing outside the door before phasing in. Bruce was waiting, sitting at the desk and going over some papers. The Martian stood there awkwardly, and even considered going back to the moon, until Batman finally turned around to face him. "What is it you're not telling me, J'onn?"

He sounded _tired_ and he probably was, due to the Heat, and that only made him feel worse because what he was about to say...would most likely make things worse. "I am...uncertain on how to..."

It shouldn't be this hard. Just a few words. But those simple words alone would most likely change Bruce's world forever. He...he couldn't..._how_ was he supposed to explain this?

"No sugar-coating. Just come out and say it."

J'onn nodded. Just come out and say it. Right. He could do that. "We..."

The white slits of the Bat stared at him, cold yet oddly reassuring at the same time.

"We...are...mates."

Batman tilted his head to the side ever so slightly, his lips pursing together. "Explain."

"When...during the heat, when a Martian consummates with another, well, they become _mates_. The mating process is the changing point in a Martian's life. Their lives expand, their powers grow... Mating is the up most form of what you call 'love'. It is stronger; it can help two lost mates find each other again, and if injured, the bond can even _heal_ you."

Silence, as he took in what that meant.

"That is ...when Martians...mate."

Batman let out a shaky breath. This..."And when a Martian mates with a human?"

A long pause. "I...do not know. It has never happened before."

Behind the mask, blue eyes closed tightly. This...this wasn't supposed to be happening. Of all the people he could have had an affair with, he chose the _one_ person that would result in _this_. And he couldn't even really remember how it happened.

Though, it didn't really matter now. Because that knowledge wouldn't change the situation at _all_.

He reached up and slowly took off the cowl. He couldn't _be_ a hero. Not right at this moment, when his entire world was spinning and he wasn't quite sure what to make of anything anymore.

"You...this is permanent? We're..._stuck_ like this?"

He instantly regretted saying the words, because he _knew_ they hurt the Martian, but...

"I'm..it's..._different _with humans, J'onn. We marry and if it doesn't work out, we divorce, and try again. This...if we're miserable, which we probably will be, then...we're _stuck_ miserable."

J'onn looked at him, a small smile playing on his lips. _That is what he is concerned about?_

"Yes." Bruce frowned as he gazed up at the ceiling. "There's a _reason_ I'm not in a relationship."

Several reasons. He wasn't _meant_ to be in a relationship. Time after time, woman after woman, never managing to make it work... Because relationships called for a lot of things. They took time, patience, empathy, compassion, understanding, _warmth_ and...

Those things, just weren't _in_ him.

J'onn knew that the situation _had_ to be stressing for Bruce; he was broadcasting his thoughts so loudly he was sure he'd have heard him even if he _wasn't_ a telepathic.

It was...really very _cute_ that he was concerned about his well being.

And as he saw the glare that was thrown his way for being called 'cute' (he _had_ to remember to close the link when he thought such things.) J'onn began to feel a bit of...hope. It wasn't like Bruce was this horrible creature that despised all things living. There had to be _more_. Something that sparked the anger, the determination, the feelings that _made_ the Batman who he was, instead of just a man in a costume.

He wasn't hopeless, just...complicated.

Though, J'onn had to admit that there was a certain..._appeal_ to both Batman, and Bruce Wayne. Batman was nothing but coiled energy, wrapped up in dark leather that hugged that _very_ nice ass...dangerous yet safe at the same time.

Bruce Wayne was beautiful. J'onn knew that men didn't really _like_ to be called beautiful, but that's what he _was_. Dark hair and those blue eyes of his which were just _the_ perfect shade. He didn't really _know _much about Bruce Wayne the playboy, but he was itching to find out more. Martians were after all, a very curious species. Even more so than humans.

And he had a hunch that Bruce was going to be a puzzle that would take an entire lifetime to solve.

* * *

Bruce was about to say more when suddenly lips were covering his own. He went completely still, his mind racing. They shouldn't really be _doing_ this again. He wasn't even half way sure that this entire thing wouldn't just blow up in their faces. In all actuality, they needed to discuss things more. The possible benefits and draw backs of them being mated, put down a few ground rules...

However, even with all those thoughts racing through his mind...his body started to relax into the kiss, as they began making their way to the bed. Tried to tell himself that they had to slow down, but it was hard to hear his own thoughts with his blood pounding in his ears, his heart racing and...

It only made sense that they try to consummate their relationship as much as possible, really. If they were really mates, then it would be in their best interest that they get to know their bodies as much as po--

_Bruce, I can hear you thinking. _

Cool hands traveled down his body and he finally let a small smile play on his lips before returning the favor.

Yes. It was all in the sake of research.

* * *

H'ronmeer leaned back a little, tilting his head to the side as he watched them go at it, wondering how it was possible for the human to be in _that_ position doing _that_ without so much of a whimper. He had to admit though, the more he watched, the more he started to respect _the human_.

For if J'onn's facial expressions were anything to go by, the human was _very _good.

Which helped, seeing how they were mated and all...

"Will you _stop_ watching them?" C'eridyall snapped as she appeared, causing him to jump slightly. Rolling his eyes, he turned away from the scene. It was about time. She'd only been gone for a second or so, and already so much had happened. He'd gotten _bored_. Was it _his_ fault that she was such a _slow_ teleporter?

C'eridyall ignored his sneer, took a moment to gather her thoughts in order and said, "Well, as you can imagine _He_ was not thrilled about what you did, and never _mind_ when L'Zoril finds out, but He does understand _why_ you did it. So you got off without punishment. This time."

Meaning that she probably had to kiss some serious ass in order to get him off the hook and he had _better_ appreciate it. He bowed his head slightly to show that he did, and she continued on, "According to Him, well...He doesn't really know. He claims it can go either way. Depending on the human, he might remain the same or...not."

H'ronmeer considered that before saying, in a slow voice, "I'm going to have to go with..._not_."

"Why?"

A shrug. "I've been listening in on them."

C'eridyall snorted. "I know. Pervert."

"Yeah yeah. Anyway, the human has been hearing J'onn's thoughts."

She blinked. "So?"

Here is where he smirked, because if the human was changing, then that meant that things wouldn't be _so_ bad, and he might not have fucked up as much as he originally thought. "Our child hasn't been projecting them."

He watched as the realization slowly sunk in, turning back to the scene at hand. The human was now resting and...J'onn had transformed into a puddle, one of his lesser energy-using forms. Okay, he _had_ to be good then.

But, even he knew that they still had a _long_ ways to go. Especially if the human was in fact, changing. He looked over towards C'eridyall. "Well, what now?" After all, she knew more about the humans and their _ways_ than he did.

She groaned. "Now? Now..." What was it earthlings said? Ah, yes. "Now, we are up a shit creak without a paddle."

"...I'm sorry?"

"Human phrase."

"Ah."

* * *

Clark grounded his teeth together, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could turn off his super hearing. They did it again. Sex. Again. For a _long_ while. Now they were quiet. Meaning that either they were resting (oh Rao) or getting ready to go another round (oh _Rao). _

_Either situation sucked. _

He forced himself to stay seated instead of flying off and interrupting them, like he was _so_ tempted to do. Telling himself that he only had about seven more hours to go until his shift was over, and then he could fly down to the Daily Planet and pretend to work.

And while not exciting, he found himself wishing for it, especially if it meant that he could get _away_ from _them_.

His hands tightened on the chair, screeching noises sounding as the metal started to bend.

He wasn't jealous.

He _wasn't_.

* * *

Sooooooooo how'd ya liiiiiiiiiike it? xD Review and lemme know peoples! This segment is coming to end end. nods sadly But don't worry! M'working on the next one as it is! I think I have 2-3 chapters up? Not really sure. But oh yes, it will rule.


	7. The Heat Takes Its Toll

Chapter 6

A/N: I know I originally said that there would only be 6 chapters... but um... o.o I just looked at how long chapter six IS. Like...reaallly long. So I had to split it up. xD Oh and sorry about the delay in posting both the chapters in one day, but I just now started looking over chapter 6 and then like I said, realized how long it was and... xD sorry.

* * *

One would think, that after a day or so the _feeling like shit_ thing would either be gone completely or at least _faded_. But no. It was actually worse. His vision was swimming, his eyes straining to take in various colors. His body was stiff and tingles ran all up his body whenever he breathed, his ears kept ringing sharply and...

Bruce shot out of the bed and towards the bathroom, managing to make it in _just_ the nick of time, retching painfully.

After his stomach was completely empty, he slowly staggered to his feet and collapsed forward onto the bed, where J'onn was staring at him with a concerned look. "Are you--"

"Shut up." He rasped out, his ears buzzing.

Even the slightest noise was causing both his eardrums and his head to pound with increasing ferocity. Closing his eyes, Bruce slowed his breathing, trying to get his body back under his control. A few minutes passed and he slowly let his body relaxed, the discomfort almost completely gone.

Sitting up, he ran a hand through his hair, then started to put his costume back on. A slight pressure appeared on his arm and he had to use every ounce of self control to keep himself from slamming J'onn into a wall, once he realized who it was. He just wasn't used to someone touching him so casually.

Not while he was Batman anyway.

Slim fingers slowly helped him into his costume, trailing along the bare skin in some places, but other wise completely innocent.

He actually thought the Martian was going to start _talking_ to him again, and had mentally readied himself for a painful bout of meaningless small-talk. It was early in the morning and he _really_ wasn't in the mood...

Which was probably another reason why he and relationships didn't exactly get along so well.

However, J'onn never said a word.

They got ready for the day in complete silence. Said silence wasn't stifling or uncomfortable, rather it was like they were at ease with each other and didn't feel the need for anything else. J'onn wasn't trying to force him to do something he didn't want to do, he was simply there, offering his help.

J'onn brushed his hand against Bruce's slightly hot forehead, a small smile as he took in the poorly masked shock in those blue eyes. Until he pulled the cowl on, thus hiding all facial expression. They stared at each other for a few minutes, then J'onn kissed Batman chastely on the lips and walked out of the room.

Batman stared at blankly into space as he pondered on what had just happened, then smirked.

He could get used to this.

* * *

Green Lantern and Flash were talking about hell freezing over. And the the seventy-grand GL'd just gotten from Batman. Superman was glaring at J'onn, who in turn, was trying to ignore Superman. Wonder Woman was looking over the monitors, probably looking for _something _to get out of the tower, anything to escape the madness. She was also muttering under her breath about setting Batman on fire.

Hawk Girl was beginning to get a headache. Ever since they'd found _them_ in the monitor room, there'd been nothing but chaos and just plain _weirdness_. It was like they'd stepped into some parallel universe where nothing really made sense anymore. Crime was pretty much in a lull right now, and she thought maybe that might have something to do with it.

It seemed that without criminals to keep them busy, the Justice Leaguers started to lose their sanity.

And she was determined to keep hers, no matter how hard they tried to bring her down to their level...

She blinked as she saw J'onn slowly put down his rubix cube and turn around to stare at Superman, who had a little smile on his face. And not a 'I'm cute and innocent' smile either. This one was almost a _smirk_. Something which looked out of place on the big guy.

If Hawk Girl squinted, she could almost see the faint creases on J'onns face that showed he was growing agitated.

"Superman..."

The smile was really pushing it. "Something _bothering_ you, _J'onn_?"

J'onn's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "No." He then turned back to his puzzle,his back stiff, causing Hawk Girl to roll her eyes at how immature they were both acting.

She turned away from the scene, only to jump; Flash's face just centimeters from hers. "GAH!"

The speedster let out a wide grin. It was always fun doing that. "Hey, Hawk G--" Now Flash, being you know, the fastest man alive and all, was easily able to dodge the mace that was aimed at his head but it _still_ took a few years off his life.

He straightened up his body, green eyes shooting daggers from behind his mask. "What gives?! That scared the crap out of me!"

"Yeah--doesn't _feel_ good does it?!" Hawk Girl snarled back, her eyes widening a few seconds later. No...the mace threatened to slip from her fingers as she slowly backed out of the room.

No...

Oh, they could _try_ but she was _not_ going to join them on the whole insanity thing they had going on. She _refused_ to.

It took her several seconds to realize that she was still walking backwards, and by then she'd already bumped into Batman. Turning around quickly, she glared at the bat. It was all _his_ fault the entire league was slipping into a sea of craziness. Things were going just _fine_ until they'd all walked in on him and J'onn.

He was the one who had bribed Green Lantern, called Superman a perverted racist, and started setting _chocos_ on fire.

Yes, she could see it now. It was all _his_ doing.

"Bite me." Came the rasp, making her jump.

That...that was completely...

_Weird_.

Most likely, the Bat was just messing with her. He couldn't read minds or anything...he was human. Completely human.

...but just in case she decided to hold out on the thoughts of everything being his fault.

Hawk girl went to say something, only to stop as several alarm bells started going off in her head.

Batman was _slouching_. He was slouching against the _wall_. And...his body was covered in sweat and _shaking_.

"Hey..." She laid a hand on his shoulder, but before she could get an 'are you alright' out, a sharp punch was delivered to her stomach, sending her flying back a few feet and crashing into a table.

Back on her feet in an instant, her mace charging with electrical energy, she raced to kick his _ass_, when he growled -- actually _growled_ -- at her, "_**Don't touch me**_."

This was more than some typical Bat thing, Hawk Girl realized, dropping her fighting stance as she took in his appearance. The slouching, the sweating and shaking...

His voice had been full of anger, yes, but she could also hear...the anxiety in it.

The _fear_ of her touch.

"So..." The trembling was starting to increase. "Sorry. It...it just..." Trembling was turning into _jerking_, Hawk Girl realized.

_He...he's having a seizure!_

She managed to catch him just as he collapsed. "Batman? _Batman?!_"

* * *

How'd ya like it?!


	8. Busted

**Chapter 7**

C'eridyall and H'ronmeer stared down the scene, watching as the human's conditioned worsened until he finally collapsed. He'd seemed to take the Heat well. Enough so that C'eridyall was starting to relax a bit. But apparently she'd been right in her concern, if his jerking body was anything to go by.

And judging by the panic it was causing in his teammates...she gathered that it _was_.

She should have known better. After all, the Heat took a lot out of a_ Martian _body. So much so that it only happened once every ten thousand years. For a human to experience such a thing...

It would completely _destroy_ a human body.

Batman's body was stronger than the average human but that only meant it took longer for the side effects to make themselves noticed. They should have _known_ that. As a result, he was dying.

J'onn's _mate_ was _dying_.

Taking in a sharp breath, she turned towards H'ronmeer, who was avoiding her piercing gaze. "_YOU! _This is all your fault! If you had just _left_ well enough alone than this wouldn't be happening! As a result, the human is dying! And when J'onn finds out it's a result of the Heat-- _**which he will**__ -- _he'll be devastated!"

H'ronmeer didn't say anything, knowing she was telling the truth. He hadn't meant for _any _of this to happen; things weren't going at _all_ according to plan. Hell things stopped going according to plan the second J'onn mated with _the hu--_

"_**Bruce**_**.**" C'eridyall hissed, her eyes blazing. " _**His name is Bruce. Just because he's human, doesn't mean his life is worthless. All life matters. You'd think, claiming to be the god of Light and Life, you would be the one to remember that.**_"

He stared down at her, thoughts swirling in his head. She was right. How much of his energy had he spent, trying to prove that he wasn't the 'God of Death and Fire' like others thought him to be? That he brought as much light as he did darkness? J'onn was his _child_. The last child of Mars.

And he'd tried to meddle in his affairs, maybe with the right intentions, but things _hadn't_ turned out okay, and as a result, both his child and an innocent were going to suffer for it.

H'ronmeer could feel J'onn's despair mounting and increasing, as the hu -- _Bruce_'s -- condition worsened, his mind crying out with grief, as he honestly believed that this was _his_ fault.

But it wasn't J'onn's fault.

It was _his_.

And he intended to fix it.

He just didn't know _how_.

_Typical H'ronmeer. Lucky for you, I have an idea..._

H'ronmeer groaned. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. _L'Zoril...I can explain..._

_And you will. Later. Right now, we have some more pressing matters to attend to._

**()**

The machines in the hospital room gave off slight humming and beeping noises, and H'ronmeer was skeptical that such primitive technology could really be of any help to the--Bruce-- but since it--he-- was still alive, he supposed it couldn't be that bad.

He turned to L'Zoril, who was starting down at the human with critical eyes, taking in the scars that littered the pale flesh. "So this is the one our Child chose?"

A slight scuffle was heard from outside, and H'ronmeer tensed slightly, nodding absentmindedly. "I wasn't too pleased either but..." Despite the noises coming from outside, no one had entered the room. He shrugged. "What can we really do about it?"

"Mmm."

"This is stupid anyway." He snorted rudely, walking around the wing. "Why can't we just heal the human and be done with it?"

L'Zoril sighed, shaking his head. "It is that kind of thinking that has caused this mess in the first place, H'ronmeer."

That only got him a sneer in return, which he ignored, continuing, "Do you know the first thing about the compounds and properties of the human body?"

A long pause.

L'Zoril smirked. "I thought not. You could try to heal him and end up turning him inside out instead. It's too risky."

"Well maybe C'eridyall--"

The Goddess in question appeared just then, already answering H'ronmeer before he could even finish. "C'eridyall isn't going to do anything of the sort. I like the human and I think he'd look rather ugly with his insides hanging out for the whole universe to see. And I think..." She ran a motherly hand through the human's hair, frowning when it came away drenched in sweat. " I think he'd have to agree..."

H'ronmeer winced as he felt her eyes boring through his skull. Though he'd apologized for butting in J'onn's affairs, she still hadn't forgiven him and it'd probably be a long time before she would. No doubt she was getting angrier the more she saw just how much Bruce was suffering...

"Why don't we just get one of Earth's Gods to heal him then?"

C'eridyall pursed her lips together, her head tilting to the side to stare at him. "Because the LAST thing we need is for them to get all in a huff over something YOU did."

Afraid she was going to start shouting at him again, H'ronmeer decided to stop with the questions and concentrate on the matter at hand.

"Let us just get this over with, hmm?" L'Zoril muttered. There was a _reason_ he didn't like being around C'eridyall, especially when H'ronmeer was around. H'ronmeer had a way of making the normally peaceful goddess turn into a screeching banshie. Interesting, perhaps, and on some days he even found it slightly humorous, but today was not one of those days.

The three Gods stood there, their eyes shut tight as they concentrated, gathering up all the energy that would be needed for what they were about to do. It was going to be difficult and there was even a slight possibility that the entire thing might just backfire, but considering the human was about to die--

"What are you doing here?" Came the cool voice, causing all of their eyes to snap open in shock.

There, in the doorway, stood their Child.

J'onn J'onzz.

The Last Martian of Mars.

And he looked _pissed_.

()

The Martian Gods, well not a lot is known about them. Like characterization. However, I dug around as I was writing them, and I found this wonderful site that has nifty info on the gods. To quote the site:

**H'ronmeer**

Referred to as "The God of Death and Fire", in his appearance in the DeMatteis/Badger series the god himself claims that he's "The God of Light and Life" instead. In my opinion, he's both.

I would suggest that H'ronmeer would be though of by the Greens as a Shiva-like figure. He destroys, but also makes anew; he brings death, but also makes room for new life. He is the act of returning energies to the cycle itself. To be clear: H'ronmeer is NOT a devil, and it's clear that the Greens don't see him as an evil entity.

J'onn J'onzz' own religion places him in a trinity of god-figures, suggesting (to me) that H'ronmeer might be related to, or even the husband of, C'eridyall, and perhaps a sort of male-fertility deity ("virility god"?).

Latter-issue _JLA_ comics hint that the Pale Martians also worshipped H'ronmeer, but they don't say whether he was part of a larger pantheon or not.

**C'eridyall**

Mentioned once only in the DeMatteis/Badger series, she is listed just as the "Goddess of Life".

I like to think of her as a sort of All-Mother/Eve figure, but that's just me.

She probably would be a healing/sustaining deity. H'ronmeer oversees birth and death, while C'eridyall takes care of the life-span between these two points.

**Lord L'Zoril**

The Green Martian name for Dream (Morpheus), taken from Neil Gaiman's _Sandman_ series (issue #5: "Passengers").

The Endless apparently have, or had, demi-god status in the Green religion.

". . . May you guard us in the darkness and on the pathway between waking hours, and protect us in dreams from the flame of your wrath.", or so says J'onn.

Not a lot was given on their personalities, so I'm pretty much making it allll from scratch. Ahh, the joys of being a writer, ne? Oh and if you wanna check the site out, google 'L'Narr's Song The Gods of Old Mars'.


	9. The Truth

()

J'onn took a step backwards, looking into Superman's eyes, which were starting to bleed red. Around them the other leaguers stood there awkwardly, watching the scene unfold before them, unsure if they wanted to get involved in this little dispute. Being an alien, he did not have a heart perse but that didn't make Kal's words hurt any less.

"You do not mean that." He said, frankly.

And even though Kal knew J'onn was right, he couldn't stop his blood from boiling. Batman was dying. But...but Batman couldn't die. Kal couldn't go back to being alone...

He'd been all alone since the beginning, fighting for what seemed to be a losing cause and losing more hope as the days passed by and more villains started popping up. What was the point when the only one who seemed to be trying to make a difference was him?

One couldn't save the world by themselves and the burden was slowly starting to wear down on him.

Until the day The Batman appeared in Gotham City. And even though they hadn't gotten along at all when they first met, and he had flown away from the city fuming when he'd just been trying to be nice...

A part of him felt relieved that there was someone else just as crazy as he was, someone else to take on the never ending battle against evil.

And Batman was always there. Whenever he went rouge due to mind control, he knew he could count on the Dark Knight to snap him out of it. Whenever things with Lois were rough, he usually flew by the manor and played a few rounds of chess with Bruce, sipping on some wine and eating a few of Alfred's chocolate cookies until he felt like he could deal with his problems again. Bruce never said more than a handful of words to him but he always said what was needed, and that was enough.

And even though things sometimes got tense between them, he knew he could always count on the Bat to be there if and when he was needed. And he always was, appearing in the nick of time, his presence calm and reassuring because Batman always had a plan...

Except for now.

Now, he was on a hospital bed, his body shutting down and none of them knew why. The only thing they did know was that he had been just peachy before they'd walked in on him and J'onn sleeping together.

Therefore it was J'onn's fault.

So when the Martian had the nerve to ask him to move aside, so he could go and help Batman some more, he flat out told him that there was no way in hell he was getting into that room.

Most likely he'd only make things worse. Only Superman couldn't afford for that to happen, because if J'onn did manage to make things worse, then Batman...

He would die.

And he couldn't --wouldn't let that happen.

Logically, he knew the chances of stopping the Martian were slim to none. J'onn could just phase right through him if he was really determined. But, he knew that J'onn would at least talk to him first, to try and 'make him see reason', and he was determined to use those few seconds to make _J'onn_ see that he couldn't help Batman anymore. Not without killing him.

"Superman...there may be something I --"

He interrupted right then and there, knowing his seconds were running out. "_No_. No J'onn, you _can't_. He's a human. You're...what if you make things worse? You're an alien-- how could you possibly know anything about how to heal a human body?!"

J'onn stared at him for a few seconds, his eyes cold. "You seem to forget that you yourself are an alien, _Kal-El._"

"**I'm more human than you'll **_**ever**_** be.**" Superman snarled, his eyes widening as he saw the alien become transparent. "_**NO!**_" J'onn walked right through him, and he lunged after the Martian, his eyes burning red. His hand reached out to stop him somehow, to make him _see _ that he was going to kill Batman, Bruce, his friend and he _couldn't go back to being alone_.

Only his left arm was being held down by Diana, who was shouting at J'onn to hurry because she could only hold on for so long...

And as Green Lantern began restraining Superman with his ring, a part of him couldn't keep from thinking...

What if Superman was right?

()

The first thing that crossed his mind was that if this was heaven, he was being screwed over big time.

The second thing that passed his mind, was that if this was _hell_ then it was way overrated.

The third thing was that whoever was in the room needed to stop...doing whatever they were doing.

Bruce couldn't exactly explain it, but he could _feel_ the animosity in the room, even if he couldn't quite open his eyes just yet. It was prickling at his skin and giving him a headache.

He didn't really want to wake up and deal with whatever was happening. In fact, he didn't really have to either. Bruce's mind was at the halfway point between conscious and unconsciousness and it was very tempting to just fade back into the darkness.

Except...he could feel J'onn.

Who was in the room, close and Batman had a hunch that it was the Martian who was giving off the harsh vibes. So, he slowly pried his eyelids open, the harsh light nearly blinding him. His vision wasn't any better than earlier, the colors swirling around him wildly, almost as if he was drugged.

There were blurry forms standing over him, that he could make out, but none of them were...

"J'onn..." He croaked out, and let out a relieved groan when the animosity died and was instead replaced by concern.

Lots of things didn't make sense. What was wrong with his eyesight? How was he _feeling_ this? Why was this happening _now_ and why _him?_

However, the only thing that came out of his mouth was, "You...alright?"

Which shocked him because he wasn't even aware he really _cared_ that much about J'onn...

But he was even more shocked by how much he wanted the answer. Needed to hear the answer.

Another blurry image came forth, and as a hand grabbed his own, Bruce tensed before relaxing his body, recognizing the cool skin to be J'onn's.

"I am...well, Bruce. It is you who is not doing too well, I'm afraid."

The animosity returned tenfold, as one of the blurry figures spoke up, "We have told you how we can help, J'onn--"

"Help?" Bruce asked, feeling his brow furrow. Who in the hell were these people? What did they have to do with anything?

Hearing the question, even though it was slightly faded, which alarmed him, J'onn spoke up, "These _people_ are Gods. My Gods. And they are..." His voice dropped to an almost whisper. "...the reason you are my mate."

The figures before him started to spin madly as both The Batman and Bruce took in what that meant. They were the reason this was happening? It made sense. He could picture the incident clear as day. J'onn entering the room and exploding, then that peculiar smell which followed afterwards...

Yes. He could blame it all on them.

He could. In fact it was very tempting.

But that wouldn't necessarily be the truth. Especially now that it was all coming back to him. He had no problem lying to everyone else but he was above lying to himself.

Truth was, when he excused himself to go to the bathroom to catch his breath and clear his head, it occurred to him that something wasn't quite right.

"He does not want this!" J'onn was saying, almost shouting. "He has never asked for this! What you are suggesting would..."

And he had been very tempted to leave just then and there. To go back to his cave, and continue his nightly patrol, like he had been planning to do before Clark had asked him to check in on J'onn. To continue on with his mission.

Alone.

It was when that word had entered his head, that he had left the bathroom and slowly started towards the monitor room, his foots slow and sounding heavy in his ears.

Alone.

Had stopped behind J'onn, feeling that smell wash over him and threaten to overpower his senses, his judgment.

Alone.

Always he had been living for the mission. Eating, sleeping and breathing the mission. Nothing else mattered. And for a while, that was enough. Because he wasn't ready to feel anything else, to be concerned with anything else. It hurt too much to feel. Slowly, however, he managed to deal with it.

Not completely, mind you, and there were several issues he'd yet to go through but...

Enough for him to realize that he was alone.

And that he was _tired_ of being alone.

So he leaned over and sniffed J'onn's neck, knowing that what happened next would probably be out of his control. And feeling the freedom that came with it, as the darkness washed over him and he lost himself, and just _felt_ something, without thinking of the possibly consequences.

He could still hear Alfred's voice echoing in his mind, _Master Bruce, exactly how long do you plan on punishing yourself?_

It had been so long since he'd allowed himself to feel anything besides pain. Years.

And he was tired.

While Bruce didn't know exactly what those 'gods' were proposing, he did know one thing. That he was being given an opportunity to change things. One that if he passed up, he wasn't very likely to get again.

His thoughts brought him back to the present, and his hand tightened around J'onn's, to get his attention.

"I'll do it."

All words stopped, as the figures stared down at him and even though he was having trouble seeing, Bruce found he could make out J'onn's gold eyes perfectly. "Bruce, you cannot be--"

"I am."

"You don't even know what they are--"

"I don't care." He stated simply, reaching up and capturing J'onn's lips in a kiss. "I want this, J'onn."

The Martian just stared. "You...want ...this?" His head tilted to the side bemusedly. "Why?"

It didn't make a lot of sense. They didn't know each other all that well, and most likely there would be many fights until they figured out just how to make this thing work, but...

"I've...decided to stop...punishing myself."

J'onn didn't really understand, but he did know that Bruce seemed to _need_ this and...

Well a part of him needed it too.

"Very...very well then... if you're sure..."

And it was with that sentence, that both Bruce Wayne and J'onn J'onzz began to live again.

()

For some reason the last sentence keeps making me blush like crazy. xD


	10. The Unnamable One

Chapter 9

In a parallel dimension, an omnipotent being sat, looking down at the scene below him. His body was nothing but a mass of swirling energy. He could have taken on a humanoid form like C'eridyall, H'ronmeer or L'Zoril. He just chose not to, seeing no need for it right now. Perhaps in the future He might be persuaded to take on a more pleasing form but for now this one would do.

Now though, now he had more pressing matters. He reviewed over everything that had happened. Knowing that C'eridyall and L'Zoril would no doubt inform Him of the situation, but He preferred to see with His own eyes (metaphorically speaking of course). C'eridyall hadn't lied to Him perse but she hadn't told the complete truth.

H'ronmeer had nearly killed an innocent. He had known something was wrong the second He'd felt J'onn's energy spike. The only time a Martian's energy spiked that high was if they were in terrible danger, or in Heat. And seeing how He couldn't pick up any negative emotions from J'onn, He figured it to be the second.

At first He had been enraged that H'ronmeer would _dare_ to put His only Child's life in such danger, and over such petty reasons too. In fact, He had been mulling over a suitable punishment for the foolish God when He decided to observe how J'onn was doing.

And that was when He had come to the conclusion that while reckless, H'ronmeer did have a point.

It had been years since He'd felt such emotions rising from J'onn. For so long He had felt nothing but apathy, and while being in the League helped him come out of his shell, He could still see that J'onn was missing something.

Now though, now He could since several things rising from His Child.

Fear, humor, regret, lust, contentment, sadness, anger, and while not all the feelings were positive things, J'onn was still showing more emotion than he had since making Earth his new home.

Of course, the whole 'killing an innocent' thing would have gotten H'ronmeer stripped of his powers until he could redeem himself, if L'Zoril hadn't stepped forward with his plan. His Child wasn't too pleased, and for a second He actually thought J'onn's mate was going to die, and was even pondering making an appearance, when J'onn's mate spoke up.

Heard what the human had to say, and relaxed, pleased with J'onn's choice. Yes, the human would do.

Now, everything was fine. The human wasn't dying and J'onn was happy. For the most part. And He hadn't even needed to make an appearance--

This time.

However, even though things had turned out okay, He still needed to have a word with H'ronmeer. Someone was going to have to tell the Earth Gods what was going on and it _wasn't_ going to be him...

After all, he was an omnipotent being. Not stupid.

()

I am currently working on the sequel. I have a few chapters written. What I don't gots...is a suitable name. So far I'm calling it 'Mates 2'. Hardly original, yeah? xD soooo...suggestions?


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